Research centers in transition: patterns of convergence and diversity

Governments continue to play a central role in the way research is conducted and organized by defining new models for research centers. How do existing research centers adapt to changes in their environment? Institutional theory suggests that organizations pursue efficiency and legitimacy by conforming to isomorphic pressures in their organizational field, which will eventually lead to a reduction of diversity in organizational practices and strategies. Resource-dependence theory assumes a more active agency and calls attention to the diverse strategic responses of organizations to institutional processes. Based on funding microdata and qualitative information at center level, this study undertakes to analyze changes in two populations of Spanish research centers (government laboratories and technology centers) in a time of evolving policy paradigms, emergence of new models for research centers, and increasing competition in the field of R&D. We find that a large share of the existing government laboratories and technology centers have progressively conformed to a funding strategy based on diversifying sources and increasing competitive public funding, although both populations are still characterized by some degree of internal diversity regarding funding portfolios. Structural heterogeneity also remains as regards management practices such as research planning and agenda setting.     

论互联网社交在法治社会建设中的功能

作为一个同法治国家、法治政府相区别的概念,法治社会命题致力于实现社会生活的秩序化、法治化,并尤其强调社会力量对国家法治建设的推动作用,试图借助多元社会主体的参与来型构法治发展的动力基础。准确认识当下的社会状况,充分挖掘现有的社会力量,是开展法治社会建设的正确路径。在当代,互联网信息技术的纵深发展日益改变着现代社会的交往模式,并塑造出互联网社交这一新型的社会关系形态。互联网社交的出现与发展孕育了以网络为介质的社会力量,使社会逐渐获取了同国家对话并参与国家法治建设的能力。互联网社交在法治社会建设中的功能可以从四个向度获得理解:互联网社交缔造着网络公共空间的公民品格;互联网社交孕育了网络社会的自治能力;互联网社交构成了民主参与的"非正式"渠道;互联网社交提供了权力制约的社会手段。     

Uniform administrative requirements for grants and agreements with institutions of higher education, hospitals and other non-profit organizations, and with commercial organizations, foreign governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign governments, and international organizations--DOL. Final rule

The Department of Labor is issuing these regulations pursuant to the requirements of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-110 (Revised), which provides standards for obtaining consistency and uniformity among Federal agencies in the administration of grants and agreements with institutions of higher education, hospitals, and other non-profit organizations. This rule also applies to the Department of Labor's grants to commercial organizations, foreign governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign governments and international organizations. OMB issued Circular A-110 in 1976 and, except for a minor revision in February 1987, the Circular remained unchanged until revised in 1993. To update the Circular, OMB established an interagency task force to review the Circular. The task force solicited suggestions for changes to the Circular from university groups, non-profit organizations and other interested parties and compared for consistency the provisions of similar provisions applied to State and local governments. The revised Circular and these regulations reflect the results of these efforts.     

Data collection related to the participation of faith-based and community organizations. Final rule

This final rule is part of the Department's effort to fulfill its responsibilities under the Faith-Based and Community Initiative pursuant to Executive Orders 13279 and 13280. Under this rule, State agencies will collect and report information related to institutions and organizations that participate in specified Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) nutrition assistance programs. This information will be a new collection for the affected programs. It will enable FNS to identify the faith-based and community organizations participating in Federal nutrition assistance programs and determine the level of participation of faith-based and community organizations in the programs. It will not adversely impact the application or participation of any organization or institution currently participating in, or seeking to participate in, FNS nutrition assistance programs.     

Audit requirements for institutions of higher education and other nonprofit organizations--Department of Commerce. Interim final rule with request for comments

The Department of Commerce is implementing Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance provided in Circular A-133, "Audits of Institutions of Higher Education and Other Nonprofit Organizations." As a result of this interim final rule, institutions of higher education and other nonprofit organizations that receive Federal assistance are required to periodically perform audits and submit the audit reports to the Federal government. This interim final rule establishes uniform audit requirements applicable to these organizations and defines the Department's responsibilities for implementing and monitoring these requirements.     

Uniform administrative requirements for grants and agreements with institutions of higher education, hospitals, other non-profit, and commercial organizations--Department of Commerce. Interim final rule

This interim final rule implements the revisions to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-110, "Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements With Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations" which was published in the Federal Register on November 29, 1993. The revised Circular was developed by an interagency task force for governmentwide use in a model rule format to facilitate regulatory adoption by executive departments and agencies. In the published revised Circular, OMB specified as "required action" that Federal agencies responsible for awarding and administering grants and other agreements to recipients described therein, shall adopt the language of the Circular unless other provisions are required by Federal statute or exceptions or deviations are approved by OMB. This interim final rule adopts the provisions of the Circular and its language to the maximum extent feasible. However, minor changes were made to update the procedures, clarify the language, and make the language apply specifically to the DoC and its operating units. No changes are intended to deviate from the substance of Circular A-110. The Circular covers both grants and cooperative agreements made by Federal agencies and subawards, unless sections of the Circular specifically exclude subrecipients from coverage. Consistent with guidance provided in the Circular, DoC will apply its provisions to grants and agreements with institutions of higher education, hospitals, other nonprofit, and commercial organizations. The provisions of the interim final rule will also apply to foreign governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign governments, and international organizations when appropriate.     

公共行政组织的法律规制

公共行政组织在当今中国的兴起与发展已成为必然趋势,但同时也涌现出众多不可忽视的问题。对公共行政组织加以有效的法律规制,不仅是确保行政分权、实现行政民主化的必要途径,也是控制国家行政权力、保护相对人合法权益和实现法治的必然要求。具体思路是:借鉴域外经验,增强“准行政组织”性事业单位的独立性和社会自治组织的“自治”程度,以建立独立自治的公共行政组织;在规制的路径选择上,实行加强规制与放松规制并举,并从加强立法、拓宽行政法的适用范围、扩展司法审查范围以及扩大公众参与等方面实现对公共行政组织规制的相关制度构建。     

论中关村立法的创新性品格

中关村立法充溢着创新性品格。它在国内立法中首次完整地构建了法治环境的原则框架,特别是规定了组织和个人可以从事法无明文禁止的活动。它创设了三十多项新制度,特别是第一项确立了高新技术成果作价出资占资本的比例可由出资各方约定的制度;第一次确立了市场主体可实行股份期权和智力要素参与分配的制度;第一次确立了比较系统的反卡特尔行为和滥用经济力行为的制度;第一次确立了风险投资可采取有限合伙的制度;第一次确立了境外经济组织或个人可与境内组织或自然人合资、合作的制度,第一次规定了禁止国家机关和市场主体使用盗版软件和电子出版物的制度;第一次设专章对政府行为规范作出系统规定,第一次设置了政府行政不作为的法律责任。它蕴含着先进的立法理念,它鲜明地体现了时代的先进精神——知识市场经济的精神。     

Implementing the principle of policy integration: institutional interplay and the role of international organizations

The implementation of the sustainable development principle of integration implies that economic laws should not be designed solely for the purpose of maximizing financial profits, but also with the object of improving human well-being, and addressing social and environmental concerns. International organizations, in which international treaties are being negotiated and created, will have to support this type of cross-disciplinary approach. International institutions, however, were not originally designed to cope with such a cross-disciplinary effort. Rather, most international institutions have emerged in line with the premise of ‘functionalism’, according to which their role is limited to supplying specialized services, usually as a solution for emerging needs and as a result of historical events. These specialized institutions have thus emerged with little coordination or common planning and have resulted in a global structure that has been referred to as an ‘accident of history’. The role that international organizations should and do fulfil with respect to the implementation of the principle of integration is reviewed in this paper. This paper concentrates on trade and investment organizations (the World Trade Organization and the Energy Charter Treaty); it reviews the channels through which non-trade/investment considerations may, or may not, penetrate the decision-making processes of these organizations; the ways these International organizations engage with interdisciplinary issues and how the objectives of other institutions are reflected in their work.     

Oligarchy,Anarchy, and Social Justice

This article attempts to identify the problems associated with democratic organizations, and institutions. The issue of democratic, self-governing organizations, and institutions being transformed into oligarchies is addressed. Thus, the question of democratic rule being undermined by elites and their attempts to co-opt democratic organizations, specifically government, is assessed. In order to mitigate elite interests within organizations, anarchist social justice is considered (paradoxically) as a means to revitalize and transform democratic government.     

A Transaction Cost Approach to the Autonomization of Government Organizations: A Political Transaction Cost Framework Confronted with Six Cases of Autonomization in the Netherlands

The aim of this paper is to explore the relevance of some important aspects of transaction cost economics (TCE) to a better understanding and explanation of the autonomization of government organizations. As TCE, with its focus on economic efficiency, was basically developed for the profit sector, its main concepts have to be adapted for the public sector. This paper presents a 'political transaction cost' framework which emphasizes 'political rationality' and 'political efficiency'. TCE's main concepts—the transaction characteristics specificity, frequency/scale and uncertainty and its assumptions about human behaviour, i.e. bounded rationality and opportunism,—are discussed for politically governed organizations and they are related to autonomization. The results of exploratory case research into six government organizations in the Netherlands suggest that such factors as bounded rationality, opportunism, political efficiency, and social institutions may have played an important part in the autonomization of the organizations involved. It seems that strictly economic aspects were less relevant whenever a decision to autonomize was taken and a specific form of autonomization was chosen.     

Medicare and Medicaid programs; religious nonmedical health care institutions and advance directives. Final rule

This final rule implements requirements under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, which set forth requirements for the new Religious Nonmedical Health Care Institution program and advance directives. This rule finalizes the Medicare requirements for coverage and payment of services furnished by religious nonmedical health care institutions, the conditions of participation that these institutions must meet before they can participate in Medicare, and the methodology we will use to pay these institutions and monitor expenditures for services they furnish. This rule also finalizes the rules governing States' optional coverage of religious nonmedical health care institution services under the Medicaid program. Additionally, this final rule addresses comments we received on the November 30, 1999, interim final rule and also makes minor changes to clarify our policy. Lastly, this rule incorporates a minor change to the requirements for advance directives.     

再论我国慈善组织公信力的法律重塑

公信力是慈善组织生存之基,公益性是慈善组织公信力之源。影响慈善组织公信力的因素既包括法治因素,也包括文化因素、体制因素等。我国慈善法律体系已经形成,内容较为全面完善,关于慈善组织的法律定位也较为明确,法律实施不到位以及官民二重性是制约我国慈善组织公信力提升的主要原因。官民二重性有悖于慈善组织的民间本性,导致慈善组织的独立性、公益性、运作效率降低,导致对慈善组织监管不力,并进而阻碍慈善事业的健康发展。要以理顺政府和慈善组织的关系为核心,进一步加强慈善法治建设,推动我国慈善的现代转型。在慈善法治建设中,信息公开是前提,创新管理是保障,强化监督是抓手,责任落实是关键。     

Technology Transfer via the Internet: A Way to Link Public Science and Enterprises?

The Internet is receiving increasing attention as a medium for technology transfer between public research and the business sector. Technology policy hopes that Internet presentations of research activities at public institutions will facilitate the exploitation of research results, particularly from those institutions not engaged in technology transfer so far. Based on a survey of public research units in natural sciences and engineering in Germany, we analyze the determinants of firm contacts established via the Internet. Special attention is paid to the effect of experiences in firm interaction in the past. Estimation results suggest that Internet contact to firms is more likely to be established by public research units that are already well situated in the transfer market. Research units that orient their homepage design towards the business sector are more likely to build Internet-based contact with firms. However, there is no evidence that public research units that have not been engaged with firms so far, use the Internet more intensively to get into the transfer business. Our results show that the Internet has a certain potential for advancing technology transfer at public research, although this potential is not fully utilized yet, at least in the case of Germany.     

Private ordering,collective action,and the self-enforcing range of contracts

Contract enforcement is acknowledged as a major issue in Law and in Economics. Contrasting substitution and complementary perspectives with respect to the role of private vs. public enforcement institutions, this article analyses how contract law can support private institutions, and enhance economic efficiency. With multilateral agreements at stake, self-regulation and reputation mechanisms at the core of private ordering have limitations that collective organizations backed by the Law help to overcome. The analysis is substantiated by empirical data from the cattle industry. Our results suggest the need for a broader approach to contract regulation by legal scholars and antitrust-authorities.     

Supplemental standards of ethical conduct and financial disclosure requirements for employees of the Department of Health and Human Services. Interim final rule with request for comments

The Department of Health and Human Services, with the concurrence of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE), is amending the HHS regulation that supplements the OGE Standards of Ethical Conduct. This interim final rule specifies additional procedural and substantive requirements that are necessary to address ethical issues at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and updates nomenclature, definitions, and procedures applicable to other components of the Department. The rule: Revises the definition of a significantly regulated organization for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); Updates the organization titles of designated separate agencies; Amends the gift exception for native artwork and craft items received from Indian tribes or Alaska Native organizations; Aligns the FDA prohibited holdings limit with the de minimis holdings exemption in OGE regulations; Revises prior approval procedures for outside activities; and, subject to certain exceptions: Prohibits NIH employees from engaging in certain outside activities with supported research institutions, health care providers or insurers, health-related trade or professional associations, and biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, and other companies substantially affected by the programs, policies, or operations of the NIH; Bars NIH employees who file a public or confidential financial disclosure report from holding financial interests in substantially affected organizations; Subjects NIH non-filer employees to a monetary cap on holdings in such organizations; Specifies for NIH employees prior approval procedures for and limitations on the receipt of certain awards from outside sources; and Imposes a one-year disqualification period during which NIH employees are precluded from official actions involving an award donor. In addition, the Department is adding a new supplemental part to expand financial disclosure reporting requirements for certain outside activities and to ensure that prohibited financial interests are identified.     

Medicare Program; establishment of the Medicare+Choice Program--HCFA. Interim final rule with comment period

The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA) establishes a new Medicare+Choice (M+C) program that significantly expands the health care options available to Medicare beneficiaries. Under this program, eligible individuals may elect to receive Medicare benefits through enrollment in one of an array of private health plan choices beyond the original Medicare program or the plans now available through managed care organizations under section 1876 of the Social Security Act. Among the alternatives that will be available to Medicare beneficiaries are M+C coordinated care plans (including plans offered by health maintenance organizations, preferred provider organizations, and provider-sponsored organizations), M+C "MSA" plans, that is, a combination of a high deductible M+C health insurance plan and a contribution to an M+C medical savings account (MSA), and M+C private fee-for-service plans. The introduction of the M+C program will have a profound effect on Medicare beneficiaries and on the health plans and providers that furnish care. The new provisions of the Medicare statute, set forth as Part C of title XVIII of the Social Security Act, address a wide range of areas, including eligibility and enrollment, benefits and beneficiary protections, quality assurance, participating providers, payments to M+C organizations, premiums, appeals and grievances, and contracting rules. This interim final rule explains and implements these provisions. In addition, we are soliciting letters of intent from organizations that intend to offer M+C MSA plans to Medicare beneficiaries and/or to serve as M+C MSA trustees.     

Construction of the problem of Latin gangs in Spain and response of the law enforcement system

Recently, since their official recognition as criminal organizations by Spanish law enforcement authorities, stricter prosecution of Latin street gangs has been observed. The toughening of legal regulations, new models of police conduct and the increasingly active role of prosecutors have contributed to greater punitive pressure on the gangs. This article has two main objectives: first, to describe changes in Spanish criminal policies for the treatment of Latin American street gangs; second, to analyse to what extent these changes are in consonance with empirical findings on criminal involvement and the organizational nature of these groups. The results show that despite the recent increase in criminal activity these groups cannot be viewed as the only parties to blame for local street crime. The opinion of the law enforcement authorities that Latin American street gangs are a form of organized crime is far from reality. These groups do not have the required combination of characteristics inherent to criminal organizations, and their purposes are not always exclusively criminal.